The present invention relates to the field of personal portable electronic devices. Specifically, the present invention relates to the field of personal electronic devices that provide an audio signal through a headset or headphones for the user. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing battery power in such a headset that communicates wirelessly with the personal electronic device, e.g., a wireless telephone unit, providing the audio signal.
Portable electronic devices such as wireless telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal stereos including tape, CD and mini-disc players, and combinations thereof, continue to grow smaller while offering more features due to technological advances in electronic circuitry. This decrease in size promotes the principle advantage of such devices which is their portability.
Operating on battery power, personal electronic devices can provide a host of services wherever the user happens to be. For example, the devices mentioned above can provide telephonic communication, text communication, music or other audio programming, or basic computing power virtually whenever and wherever necessary.
The portability of personal electronic devices is promoted not only by their small size, but also by how easily they can be carried or worn by users. Another important aspect to portability is the extent to which the user must use his or her hands to operate the device. A device that can be operated largely hands-free is easier to use while performing other tasks, such as driving or writing, and is therefore more useful.
With personal electronic devices that produce an audio signal, particularly wireless telephones, the user must typically hold the phone to his or her ear to hear and conduct a phone call. This typically requires continuous use of a user""s hands. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus allowing a user better hands-free operation of a personal electronic device outputting an audio signal.
It is an object of the present invention to meet the above-described needs and others. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus allowing a user better hands-free operation of a personal electronic device outputting an audio signal. Additionally, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an efficient method and apparatus for powering a-wireless headset for use with personal electronic devices.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by those skilled in the art through reading these materials or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be achieved through the means recited in the attached claims.
To achieve these stated and other objects, the present invention may be embodied and described as a personal electronic device outputting an audio signal including: a primary battery located in the personal electronic device; a headset for providing wireless communication with the personal electronic device for transducing the audio signal into audible sound; a secondary battery located in the headset for powering the headset; and a charger for recharging the secondary battery from the primary battery. By way of example, the personal electronic device may be a wireless telephone unit, in which case, the headset would include a microphone. Preferably, the charger also includes an upconverter.
The charger may be disposed in the headset so that the secondary battery is charged when the headset is connected to the personal electronic device by a power coupling. Alternatively, there may be an additional secondary battery. In which case, the secondary battery and the additional secondary battery are interchangeable in connection to either the headset or the personal electronic device. The charger may then be disposed in the personal electronic device for charging either the secondary battery or the additional secondary battery depending on which is connected to the personal electronic device.
An external charger may be provided for connection to the personal electronic device to recharge the primary battery.
The present invention also encompasses a method of powering a personal electronic device that outputs an audio signal as described above. The method is performed by recharging a secondary battery located in the headset from the primary battery located in the personal electronic device. As above, the headset provides wireless communication with the personal electronic device for transducing the audio signal as audible sound.